Regarding the foyer ,,, what is going on at the base of the staircase (by the pony wall)? It almost looks like a bar/sink or counter? I'm also assuming that's a coat closet under the stairs? My first thought was a round entry table with flowers (I love that look), then entering the house you go right of the table to go up the steps or to an "entry area" at the base of the steps with a bench. And I also see a reading nook on the other side of the foyer. If a round table doesn't work ,,, another option might be a long console table on the backside of the reading nook to help lead people into the house. A few more photos of that area would be helpful (including a shot or two taken coming down the steps). I would also treat the window in the stairwell, so the windows on each side of the front door are "in balance". I feel like the house is suffering from identity crisis. The "arts and crafts" style cabinets in the kitchen, the "tropical" ceiling fans, the "contemporary" arch/pendants over the bar, the "shabby chic" drapes and "hollywood glam" cocktail table in the tv area, etc, etc, etc and then there's that fireplace mantel. For staging purposes, I would try to clean that up. Some stuff you are stuck with ,,, for example, the curved arch over the bar with that funky archway to the right of the fireplace (created by the stairwell) and then the square archway to the left of the fireplace. Maybe it doesn't look that bad in person, but to me those lines look "off", so I would try to minimize them. This is where I think the paint color and the monochromatic color scheme actually help out. How nice of you to help out your friend ,,, looks like a fun challenge!!

Have you thought about creating a storage room beside the laundry room, although likely you don't need it to be as large as the laundry room? That way you could have out of sight storage for items such as decorations, camping gear, etc. I'm not sure I would want utility storage mixed up with my kids toys. I think then that your area would feel more like a family room. There is great toy storage in the picture you posted, much more that you would have with floating shelves. Looking ahead to when your kids are older and you cut down on the toys, perhaps consider buying units that have doors on the bottom 2 cubbies. Or purchase the doors now so that they match and add them later. This may help the room grow with your family over the years. One more thought. I like the idea of using the large area at the bottom of the stairs for family room / tv watching / computer area and keeping all the toys in the back area, perhaps with 3 sided shelving and play space in the middle. That way, again it would feel more like a family room where some folks can watch tv a little separate from the kiddies who want to play, but you can all be together in the same level of the home. Enjoy having more space to spread out!

I use Microsoft PowerPoint - for me, it's the easiest way to work on other people's kitchen designs. I downloaded free graph paper from the internet and pasted a copy into a PPT presentation I then sized the graph paper image so the boxes on the graph paper each represent 6"x6" with the scale of 0.8" = 24" in real life. I created different sized ranges, cooktops, refrigerators, sinks, etc. to match the scale I saved a template and now just load the template and start designing! If anyone would like a copy of the PowerPoint template I've created, just email me via "My Page". I've linked an old thread below. [Edited to add that others can email me for a copy of the template I use.] Here is a link that might be useful: Modifying A Poster's Layout This post was edited by buehl on Thu, Sep 26, 13 at 0:38

So, I took a look..and I do have some concerns, especially if you try to fit a 48"D island into your space. Your space just isn't wide enough to have that deep an island + decent aisles + space to move around the island. Even a 41.5"D island is marginal. A few things have to be taken into account in your design: (1) You definitely need to have enough room for multiple cooks: "We're a family of four. Two kids, one 5 and one 10. Wife and I both love to cook and share the responsibility equally. Kids will also help out in the kitchen and our oldest loves to bake by herself." This means your aisles really need to be a minimum of 48". It also means you need to have more than one place to prep and, preferably, a water source in at least two locations so you're not fighting over the sink. (Add in someone trying to cleanup or load/unload the DW while others are prepping/cooking, and you're asking for trouble -- especially when your kids are in preteen + teen! (Trust me on this!) (2) Busy traffic in the Kitchen. The Kitchen is in the middle of the path between the Family Room and the Dining Room and, I think, between the entrance (far left) and the rest of the house -- including the stairs that I assume go upstairs to the bedrooms. That area is going to be busy. So, You need adequate aisles to allow considerable traffic + table seating and considerable traffic + island seating. Do not skimp on aisle space (or seating space)! You need a minim of 48" between the island and anything behind the seats (e.g., the stairs). More would be better, but your Kitchen isn't deep enough. (3) Island configuration: Since you need the minimum aisle widths (48") around the island, you cannot fit a 48" deep island. Instead, have a 3 seats along the back and one on the side. Is it ideal, no, but it's better than most I've seen. Your island is then 41.5" deep: 1.5" counter overhang in the front + 24" deep base cabinet + 1" decorative door/end panel on the back of the base cabinets + 15" seating overhang = 41.5" In addition, each seats need 24" of linear space, so only one seat will fit on the 41.5" long side --and-- you cannot overlap seats on a corner, so even skimping on linear space won't work. For 3 seats, that means you need 72" (6'). Your minimum island needs to be 72"W x 41.5"D For your Kitchen size: From what I was able to calculate, it appears the longest part of your Kitchen is no more than 116" + 71" + 19.5" = 206.5" [Note: The 19.5" measurement might not be right, I had to base it on what I saw elsewhere b/c a couple of key measurements were missing on your layout.] The stairs encroach on that, so where the island ends, it's a bit less than 149" The minimum space you need is: 25.5" + 48" + 41.5" = 115" and then add in 33" to accommodate the needed the space b/w the stairs and island = 148" [Why 33" and not 48"? This can be a bit complicated...the stairs are on a diagonal, so a straight line measurement doesn't work. Instead, I had to work with rotated lines to calculate what was necessary to accommodate a 48-inch aisle. If it's too complicated or I didn't explain it well, don't worry about it...you'll see the results in the layouts.] . Layouts.... With all of the above in mind, I came up with two layouts -- I like #1 the best b/c I think it gives you the best functionality, more workspace, and a more open feel. Both have two Prep Zones: (1) in the island with a prep sink and (2) on the perimeter b/w the cleanup sink and range. As you can see, Layout #1 has more space b/w the range and cleanup sink. The sink run of counters and cabinets are 3" deeper than standard. This gives you more storage (especially dish storage) and and deeper workspace. It also pulls the sink 3" farther from the window and window sill so you can easily fit any faucet, clean behind it easier, and minimize window splashing -- without being too far from the window to open it. The base cabinets are 27" deep (If you cannot get deeper base cabinets or they're too expensive, pull standard depth base cabinets (24"D) out from the wall 3" when they're installed.) The upper cabinets are 15" deep (Most lines now offer 15" deep uppers for a reasonable price) The deeper uppers also provide better storage for deeper items like platters or large dinner plates. The counter is 28.5" deep The deeper cabinets & counter also allow you to have a Dish Hutch. A Dish Hutch has a lot more storage than a standard base + upper setup. The upper goes down to the counter and, allows you to utilize the entire height for dishes, glasses, etc. In your layout, it's a 27" wide Dish Hutch. (That means you have an additional 27"W x 18" tall x 15"D = 7,290 cubic inches (about 4.2 cubic feet) of storage.) Other items: The island has a prep sink so the island can function as a Prep Zone (key Prep Zone items are water and counterspace). There's still plenty of open space for baking, doing homework, science projects, crafts, wrapping gifts, etc. The island also seats four people comfortably. Dish storage and the Cleanup Zone are outside the Prep and Cooking Zones -- allowing you to have multiple people working in the Kitchen -- prepping, cooking, baking, cleaning up, unloading the DW, setting the table, etc. -- without getting in each others' way. The MW is on the long counter at the "bottom" of the Kitchen. That space also makes a nice Snack/Tea/Coffee Center and, if necessary, a "tertiary" Prep Zone. While there isn't direct access to water, it can be used in a pinch for prepping. That long space also has additional storage space for pantry items or other needs. I suggest building up the half-wall b/w the Family Room and the Kitchen to at least 42" tall to allow a bit of separation and to block a direct view of the MW (assuming you put it there -- that seems to be the best location. It's at a usable height and has room around it for landing space. The both have a full-height 18" pullout pantry and, in front of the furnace exhaust bumpout, a full-height shelved pantry cabinet 18"W x 9"D. A lot will fit in that 9" deep pantry cabinet! Layout #2 has a 9" Utility cabinet (or another pantry cabinet). The Dining Room In Layout #1 has a partial banquette style -- one long side and one short side are in the corner. The other seats are chairs. It easily seats up to 6. If you have leaves, you might be able to squeeze in a couple more seats, but only if/when really needed b/c it will create aisle/traffic issues. There is plenty of space around the table for seat access. This layout allows you to move the Refrigerator to the other side of the furnace exhaust bumpout. This frees up space to the right for needed counterspace. (This is the primary reason I prefer this layout. It's worth losing the 9" wide utility cabinet -- at least to me.) In Layout #2, the Refrigerator will not fit on the left of the furnace exhaust bumpout, so the amount of counterspace around the range is significantly reduced. To fit the table, there are minimal aisles on the left (36") and top (35"). However, they are not "through aisles", so they should be OK. You'll have to do a bit of squeezing, but with only 4 people, it won't be bad. The important aisles are wide enough. Here they are: Layout #1: Layout #1's Zone Map: . . Layout #2 Layout #2's Zone Map: